From our colleagues at AAUP Texas:
Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse has terminated Professor Tom Alter for engaging in protected political speech as a private citizen, the Committee to Defend Tom Alter announced today. The decision represents a direct assault on the First Amendment and academic freedom.
In a public statement released after his firing Alter said: “My termination, in clear violation of my First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, association, and of assembly, brings shame, embarrassment and heavy blow to the academic reputation of Texas State University.” Alter also commented: “To be clear, my termination is part of a broader political attack being carried out by the authoritarian far-right to crush democracy and democratic institutions in the United States in general, and in Texas in particular. But the charges leveled against me by the Texas State administration do not stand up to the facts. I have truth on my side and I look forward to my day in court.”
Because of his termination Alter’s lawsuit against Texas State seeking his reinstatement will now go forward.
The Texas State Employees Union, American Association of University Professors, Texas AFT, and Texas AFL-CIO have condemned the termination and pledged full support for Dr. Alter’s legal challenge. Civil liberties organizations nationwide are rallying to overturn this precedent-setting case.
Dr. Tom Alter, a tenured history professor, was terminated for speaking at a political conference on his own time as a private citizen. The proceedings began after far-right provocateur Karlyn Borysenko posted secretly recorded and selectively edited videos from the September 7 Revolutionary Socialism Conference demanding his firing.
Take immediate action:
- Contact President Damphousse to condemn this unconstitutional termination:
- president@txstate.edu
- 512-245-2121
- Sign the statement by the Committee to Defend Tom Alter
- Sign and share the petition for Tom Alter’s reinstatement
- Donate to Tom Alter’s legal defense fund
- Share on social media: #DefendTomAlter #FirstAmendmentTXST
Contact: defendtomalter@proton.me
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581629577807